A Crew of Dreamers
by fairypiece123
Summary: Ichigo is a girl who knows too much, who has seen too much, who has suffered too much. She is hated for her powers, while at the same time being hunted for them as well. Meeting an odd pirate crew, she embarks on her own adventure towards her ambitions. Will she finally be able to get over her past with the help of her new friends? [OC-insert]
1. Prologue

**Hi!~ So this idea has been bothering me for quite a while, so I finally decided to write it down. I hope that you will enjoy!**

**I am very sorry for any OOC-ness in this story! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of One Piece**

* * *

Pain. That is the first conscious memory that I have of my life. I know that people's first memories shift as they get older, not being able to remember as far back as they age. However this has been my first memory for quite some time now. It never changes. It's always pain. The vision always comes to me when I'm asleep, sometimes when I'm awake. The agony of drowning. Desperately trying to fill your lungs with the oxygen it dearly needs, but not being able to. Instead, you swallow a boat-load of water and are left choking and gagging, but still not wanting to let go of your last remainders of life. I'm terrified of water.

I don't remember for what purpose I was out on the water, only that I had somehow fallen into it, or was thrown into it – but I guess the details don't really matter. I don't recall my parents, or if I ever really had any. I'm sure I must have had some at one point – I was born from something – but the memories never seem to come. I don't remember anything of my life before the age of 5. Only drowning. And pain. Always pain. Even after I managed to wash up to shore by some miracle, the pain never did stop.

* * *

I was kept as a slave for as long as I can remember, after drowning that is. I had washed-up on the shores of Sabaody Archipelago and was immediately taken to be sold at one of the human auctions they held on that island. One of those Celestial Dragons had bought me – said I looked interesting. So I was made to work like a dog, with the collar and all, for the next 10 years of my life.

Every slave was required to have some sort of mark on them to signify that we were slaves – worthless dogs to the dragons we served. Mine was placed straight onto my left eyelid, sealing it shut for a while until it had healed enough for me to be able to open it again. We were beaten and punished if we ever did something wrong – and as quite a clumsy child, that happened to me quite a lot. None of the others ever helped out a child either, always more concerned with themselves and seeing their families again. I learnt at a young age that people weren't to be trusted.

* * *

I was 7 when my Masters decided to feed me that cursed fruit. The Yume Yume no mi*****, they kept calling it. It tasted awful, but sated my empty stomach far better than any of the food I had eaten during those first two years of being a slave ever did. The fruit gave me new, strange powers – which I was made to use regularly – but it also took away my ability to swim. Not that I ever really did have that skill. I was still terrified of the water.

I was made to use my new powers on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis by my Masters. It allowed me to look into people's minds to see their past, their greatest fears, their ambitions and everything that was important to them. At least, that's all I had been able to do with my new powers so far. It was horrifying, seeing what all these people (mostly criminals who the Celestial Dragons wanted information from) had done in their lives. It always gave me a splitting headache as well, but it wasn't like anyone cared about that.

* * *

When I was 10, a new slave was added to my Master's collection. An old man – also someone who looked interesting, I guess. He was the first person to ever smile at me, to ever try to get to know me. Of course, I would never tell him much, not knowing much about myself anyway – but he would always tell me the most amazing stories. Stories of pirates and adventure. Of the great Pirate King and how he had died 14 years prior to this one, leaving behind an amazing legacy. His favourite tales though, were of various myths and legends, supposedly told in the stars and the constellations.

I never caught his name, and he never knew mine – I didn't have one at that time – but he was the one who taught me to smile, to trust. I remember telling him that one day I would become a pirate, write my own stories and always be able to see the stars. He laughed, saying that I was too scared of water. I told him that on a boat it would be fine, and that I would join a crew who would save me if I ever fell in. We made a promise. I laughed along with him.

* * *

Life was pretty repetitive after that: work, punishment, story, sleep. Then wake up and do it all again. A never-ending cycle. Until one day, when I was 15. The nice man came running over to me, in a panic, and thrust a handful of keys in my face. The Masters never suspected a thing.

We snuck out that night, all of us – the other slaves included. I felt better than I ever had, free from the sea-stone shackles and the collar that I was made to wear at all times. We ran like our lives depended on it. I guess they really did.

I remember the guns firing all around us. People's screams and yells piercing the air. Bodies falling to the ground. I think that I was one of the main ones they were trying to catch, due to my powers. So I kept running, not looking back. It was then that I felt a body smack right onto my back, the momentum making me topple over.

When I looked back at the person who had made me fall, I realised it was the nice man. The one who had smiled at me, who had told me stories, who had made _me_ smile. With a bullet lodged in his stomach. His eyes were wide and bloodshot. He was gasping for breath.

"Survive," he told me. "Do anything to survive and live out your dream. I want to hear lots of stories of your adventures soon."

So I ran. No hesitation, no questions. It was just a no-name girl running from a no-name dying-man, no connection between them. The only issue in the picture was that the girl was crying – but that girl was always crying, even if she didn't show it. So I ran from the scene, escaping the island, and even the sea, on a small Marine ship headed for the East Blue. I was officially a 'Wanted' individual.

* * *

The girl learnt something valuable that day. Don't trust and don't show your feelings to anyone. That makes it easier to betray them in the end. And this girl was one of the first to betray others if the situation called for it. She did anything she could to survive.

Just as she was told by that nice man she had once known.

* * *

**So that was the first chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it!**

***Yume Yume no mi basically means the Dream Dream Fruit, I hope to expand on the powers of it later in the story.**

**I hope to get the next chapter up by tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest – that is where the story will actually start.**

**Please leave me a review! I would love to know what you think!**

**Thank you~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi!~ Here is the promised second chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Sorry for any OOC-ness! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: even though I wish I did, I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**QuirkyKit:** Thank you so much for your review! I will definitely consider your suggestion; it is a very good one! The only issue I have with it is that I have no idea how to include the romance with Luffy, or anyone else for that matter, into the story – I'm kind of at a loss as to how they would actually fall in love. I guess I have a few ideas, but more would always be appreciated! So if anyone has any pairings they would like, and also some suggestions as to how they would fall in love, then please let me know!

**Guest:** The story is basically starting in this chapter, so she meets Nami at the beginning, but I was thinking of having her actually join the crew in Loguetown; it will be pretty much following the anime from there. I hope that this is alright! Thank you so much for reviewing as well!

* * *

**Present day~**

**Third Person POV:**

It was a new morning, and the small island – situated in the East Blue – was already bustling with activity. The girl, who had washed up on the isle's shores one year prior, was in her one-room apartment, getting ready to head out. She looked in her small mirror and regarded her appearance. A large, green eye stared back at her blankly, void of emotion; her left one was covered by a black eye-patch to hide the scar of the mark that the Celestial Dragons had given her all those years ago – it had long-since healed, but her eye was still sealed closed. Her brown hair hung loosely down her back in curls, and she pulled it back to tie it up with a piece of string.

She looked back at herself and flashed one of those unnatural smiles which every slave had been accustomed to using when addressing their Master – she found that people trusted her more easily if she wasn't so stony-faced all the time. The smile was the kind which was huge, nearly splitting her face in two, yet still not quite reaching her eyes.

The girl had struggled to get by for the past year, and she was already plotting a way to get away from the wretched island she had washed-up on. She got by everyday by stealing from people visiting the village, and sometimes from the street-vendors when she really needed to. She thought of it as 'stealing from the rich and giving to the poor'; although in this case, the 'rich' weren't particularly rich, and the 'poor', who she was supposedly giving the money, to was referring to herself. Luckily, she was used to not being able to eat a lot because of her previous work as a slave, when time and supplies were scarce, and she didn't care a great deal for lots of clothing. So she somehow got by on her own.

The adults in that town hated her, calling her a burden and a street-rat, but the children always gathered around her for her stories. They were the ones who gave her a name. 'Ichigo' they said, because strawberries were the island's main export and therefore they would never forget it. It was silly and superficial, but she couldn't bring herself to mind. So Ichigo repaid the children with tales of pirates and adventure, the ones she had heard when she was their age. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was made to leave the island, so she relished those moments of peace as best as she could before she escaped.

* * *

The day she left was windy and stormy, and she was thrown about in the small dinghy which she had used to sail away in. She was still terrified of water, the fear only magnified when she had eaten the devil fruit, but she managed to hold on and not fall into the sea. She didn't bring anything with her either, so the only thing she had to take care of was herself.

Eventually she came across a cruise ship, which seemed to be carrying a number of rich passengers, all dressed up for a ball of some sort. She snuck on-board and quickly stole a dress (along with a few pieces of jewellery) and put it on, with her eye-patch still in place, before entering the hall which the party was being held in. She walked through the crowds, pick-pocketing wherever she could, and came to stand by a large window, next to an orange-haired girl who was looking out at the sea.

"It's an awful waste for cute girls such as us to not have partners to dance with, don't you agree?" Ichigo turned around to glance at the woman, who looked around two years older than her, and nodded in agreement. "By the way, my name's Nami."

"Ichigo."

Nami scowled at the younger girl's lack of a response, but still stuck out her hand for the other to shake. Ichigo stared down at the hand, and took it hesitantly – knowing that the visions would surely follow after the brief contact.

* * *

_'__I'm going to draw a complete map of the world!'_ A young, orange-haired girl was seen, smiling up at a woman and a blue-haired girl who looked slightly older than her. Ichigo's powers told her that these people were Nami and her adopted family: Bellemere and Nojiko. The devil fruit user watched all of these memories, and continued looking while Bellemere was killed and Nami was made a slave to the group of fishman.

* * *

When she felt the start of a headache forming, Ichigo brought herself back to the present and took her hand from the grasp of Nami – who had no idea what the younger girl had just witnessed of her past.

Suddenly, the ship gave a huge shudder and two of the sailors burst into the room, screaming about pirates. Everyone started panicking and running about, all but Nami and Ichigo, the latter of which raised her eyebrow at the elder, knowing about her thieving ways and what she was probably planning to do (not that she was any different).

* * *

Later on, Ichigo approached Nami from behind, both girls having changed out of their dresses and into more normal attire. The orange-haired girl jumped, and glared at the other, both running towards where the pirates who had invaded had left their ship.

"Oh, it's you," Nami sighed. "What are you doing here, Ichigo?"

"They're pirates. They have treasure. I want the treasure."

"Well that's too bad, because that treasure's mine. I'm afraid you can't have any."

Ichigo didn't reply, but kept on running until they had reached the pirate ship – infiltrating it and finding the treasure without much difficulty. She watched as Nami tied all of the gold up into one large bag, still not saying anything. When they both headed for the door heading out to the deck, Nami was the first to stick her head out and look around; while she was doing this, Ichigo stealthily took a handful or so of the gold from the bag the older girl was carrying, just enough to last her for a while. She then gave Nami a quick wave and left the other girl to her own devices, the orange-haired teenager looking very pleased about not having to fight over the money or gold.

Now alone, Ichigo headed back to the cruise ship, seeing what looked like a fight occurring on the deck, and went to where the maps were kept, taking one of the East Blue for future reference. She then snuck back onto the deck, stealing one of the dinghies kept there, and prepared to leave. After dropping into the water, she raised the sail and settled down, letting the wind take her where it wanted. She looked at the treasure she had stolen, remembering the girl she had taken it from – along with the memories she had seen which she felt related to some of her own.

Somewhere in the far reaches of the part of her mind she never really explored, she hoped she would see Nami again.

* * *

**So I have finished another chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it!**

**Also, just to let you know, Ichigo has developed her powers a little so that she can use them offensively and she can fight a bit as well – but I will expand on this all later.**

**Oh! And 'Ichigo' means 'strawberry' for those who were wondering.**

**Please leave me a review, and also let me know any potential pairings and/or ideas for how they fall in love (at the moment Luffy x OC has been suggested)!**

**Thank you~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi!~ Chapter 3 is up! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I'm sorry for any OOC-ness! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: if I did have ownership over One Piece, Ichigo would already be in it (and the whole story would probably be ruined, but whatever)**

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! It really means a lot and is a great inspiration for my writing, especially when everyone gives me such great advice and encouragement! Thank you!**

**The Utterly Fabulous Z: **Thank you for reviewing! I was considering just adding some moments with Ichigo and each of the Monster Trio, and then it can be decided who she ends up with later. I hope that this is alright, and I do definitely love the idea of Sanji x OC! Thank you again!

**Luffy's sister:** It didn't feel pushy at all, and I really appreciate your reviews – thank you! You have some really great ideas and I just may use some of them – although they will be coming slightly later in the story. I hope that this is okay!

**Littlebirdd:** Don't worry, that won't happen. I really can't imagine any of them falling in love at first sight (except for maybe Sanji – but we all know how that usually turns out), and especially not Ichigo. Thank you for reviewing!

**I was also thinking of maybe setting up a poll, so please also let me know what you think of this!**

* * *

It had been a couple of weeks since Ichigo had separated from Nami, and she had drifted aimlessly for a while before deciding that it would actually be helpful if she had some supplies to keep her alive. She didn't generally like the idea of staying in one place for long periods of time, and had agreed with herself that, after leaving the island she had lived on for a year, she would keep on the move. Yet here she was, two weeks on from reaching the shores of Loguetown, and she was still there.

Ichigo wondered how she had gotten herself into this state, even though she knew the answer perfectly well. It was that damned bar she had stumbled upon on the first night of her stay. The Gold Roger Bar.

* * *

She had wanted to find a quiet place to drink, as she was not really keen on large or noisy crowds. Walking down a small alley-way, she had spotted the small bar and immediately entered, glad for the peace. Following the stairs down, Ichigo regarded the old Wanted posters on the walls – most ripped and crossed out – until she came to one with a familiar face on it.

'The Dreamer,' it read, 'Ichigo, worth 50,000,000 bellies.'

Her eye widened slightly, shocked at this new discovery. She knew that, after escaping from slavery and the Celestial Dragons, she had been acknowledged by the Marines as someone they needed to arrest, but she had no idea that she was worth this much. She was bought as a slave for only 1,000,000 bellies, which was actually quite expensive compared to the other humans there. It was probably due to her powers that she was worth more now.

Upon reaching the actual bar, Ichigo noticed that it was empty; it looked like it had not seen much business in a long while. She walked further into the room, and nodded at the man sitting at one of the tables, identifying him as the owner of the inn; he had a skull placed across from him, and was clinking his glass, full of alcohol, with another – which was supposedly for his dead companion. Ichigo stayed silent, but walked over to the man – who had just downed his drink – and took the seat beside him, also helping herself to the extra glass he had set out.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" the old man asked. "Also, don't just go stealing other people's drinks, it's rude. Actually, get out of my bar. We're closed."

"I'm 16."

"That's too young! And don't ignore the rest of what I just said!"

"… What's the story behind the skull?" Ichigo, always wanting to hear new tales, asked.

"You're hopeless," the man replied, "don't ignore people. But I guess I can tell you, since you asked. This is the skull of a man known as 'Killer Giant'. A man who killed hundreds of pirates."

The man, Raoul, told Ichigo all sorts of stories about Gold Roger and the enemies he had faced – all the while gesticulating wildly and raising his voice in enthusiasm. She listened patiently, still with a blank face, but actually interested, trying to soak in as much information as she could.

When the man had finished, she got up from her chair and walked behind the counter of the bar, taking down two glasses from a cabinet and filling them with brandy.

"In appreciation for your story and the drink I took, allow me to repay you. Refreshments are on the house."

"Insolent girl!" Raoul yelled at her. "This is my inn! You can't come in and do what you please, especially since you're too young! Find another way to show your gratitude, don't steal my alcohol!"

Ichigo merely stared at the man before tilting her head back and gulping the beverage down in one go. She then closed her one eye and sighed deeply – the first sign of feelings she had shown the man since entering the bar. The girl proceeded toward the kitchen and started to route through the room, preparing a simple meal. When she was done, she returned to the man with two steaming plates, and gave one to him before sitting down and digging into her own.

"I will stay for a couple of weeks and help to clean up your inn," she said after a while. "I will also cook for you. In return, you will provide me appropriate accommodation and access to your alcohol."

"Why does it feel like you are getting the better end of the deal?" Raoul questioned, annoyed. "Fine, I give up. Do as you please."

* * *

So here she was, 2 weeks on from first arriving on the island, doing the grocery shopping for an old man while also avoiding all of the Marines, who seemed to be everywhere. When she entered the newly-cleaned bar, she noticed that they had company. A boy wearing a straw-hat, whose face was also on a Wanted poster which had been placed upon the wall recently – worth 30,000,000 bellies.

Raoul was retelling his various stories to the boy; Ichigo had heard countless more during her stay, for which she was grateful. The boy was hanging onto the old man's every word.

Hearing her enter, both males turned to face her – the boy shivering and grinning, the man smirking.

"Ichigo, for this boy, I feel like closing the bar a little later today!" Raoul smiled. "Drinks really are on the house this time."

The girl nodded and stepped behind the bar, feeling the boy's gaze on her. She started to prepare a strong, alcoholic drink when 'Luffy' – as it said on his Wanted poster – interrupted her train of thought.

"I don't drink."

'This was for me anyway,' she thought – but outwardly she nodded and poured some milk into two glasses, one for each of the males. She then drank the alcoholic drink herself.

"Ichigo has a fair few interesting tales herself actually," Raoul addressed the pirate in front of him, "she's a bit of a story-teller. She also has her own bounty – higher than yours."

The boy turned to the girl, muttering something which sounded awfully like 'we don't have a story-teller yet' and 'she's probably strong too'. He had stars in his eyes and was grinning widely. Ichigo slowly started backing away from him, throwing a side-glance at Raoul – who had the gall to grin at her.

"Join my crew!"

* * *

**Ok! Done with another chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it!**

**Yay! It's Luffy, and he has asked Ichigo to join his crew! I wonder what she will say?**

**Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter and of the poll idea!**

**Thank you~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi!~ So I got the fourth chapter finished! I hope that you enjoy it!**

**I had been hoping to update earlier, so I am so sorry that I only got it out just now! Please forgive me!**

**By the way, I set up a poll! So please go and vote on it! I will still count the votes on the reviews from guests though, don't worry!**

**I apologise for any OOC-ness in the story! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Ichigo blinked, turned to Raoul, turned back to the boy, and blinked again. Luffy was sporting the hugest, most idiotic grin on his face that the girl had ever seen – and she decided right then and there that the boy standing in front of her was a moron.

"No."

Watching the boy's facial expression, Ichigo found it mildly amusing how Luffy's enormous, confident grin morphed into a comical look of wide-eyed shock.

"EH?!" he yelled. "Why not? You've got a bounty, and you have an eye-patch! You're basically a pirate already, so just join!"

Ichigo quirked her eyebrow at the distressed boy, vaguely entertained by his exaggerated emotions. Her expression remained blank; however she couldn't help but smirk inside her mind at his antics.

"I refuse to join."

Luffy pouted at the girl who had caught his interest. With a bounty higher than his, he had no doubt that she was strong – and that eye-patch added to her 'cool' aura! They already had Usopp with his far-fetched lies, but the captain desired someone who would tell them all sorts of stories about all sorts of pirates! He really wanted her to join, and he wasn't going to accept her refusal.

"You can't refuse. I'm going now, but one way or another I'm going to make sure you join. See you later!"

Ichigo watched the boy go, not moving from where she had been standing. She did want to travel out to sea and live-out her dream, but her distrust of others was holding her back. She knew this, but she couldn't just change her attitude because one boy insisted she joined him and his crew.

"Go," Raoul said to her, "you've already worked here for 2 weeks, that's good enough."

"Old man…"

"That boy is a good kid, if a little stupid. He's gonna need help though – he's headed for the execution platform."

Ichigo could feel her eye twitch, already exasperated by the idiocy of the boy she had met a few moments ago. She didn't want anything to do with the moron, but she couldn't just let him walk right into the Marines hands. She owed it to him for listening to the old man's stories – and besides, who wouldn't want to spite the Government by not letting them have what they want?

One thing was for sure though, she was definitely not joining that guy's crew!

* * *

Upon reaching the square where the execution platform was situated, Ichigo noticed a small crowd which was slowly dispersing – but no Luffy. Quickly, she brushed past one of the men who was leaving, and saw the boy she was looking for in his memories. It appeared that Luffy had been in a fight with Smoker, but had been flung somewhere due to a missed kick. One other thing about the memory struck the girl's attention, but she was only mildly surprised by it.

"A rubber man, huh? Well, it seems we have both eaten a devil fruit."

Ichigo stood there for a while, pondering over her next plan of action. In the end though, she just shrugged her shoulders and sat down, getting comfortable for a long wait.

"He'll be back."

* * *

Finally, after what felt like ages, Ichigo saw a straw-hat, floating into the square before landing in front of the execution platform, followed by the boy she had been waiting for. She watched him pick up his hat and place it on his head. Eventually, he realised where he was.

"I'm back."

At that moment, Ichigo also sensed the presence of a large group of people hiding in the shadows of the square. Glancing around, she deduced that they were here to ambush Luffy – so they were either Marines or other pirates he had made enemies out of.

Turning back to the idiot in question, Ichigo noticed that he had already climbed up the tower and was standing on the platform looking at the view; he was drawing a large crowd to him as well.

Slightly amused, Ichigo sat back to watch the events which followed, from an Officer who was yelling at him to an overly-arrogant woman who seemed to have taken a fancy to Luffy. The green-eyed girl in the audience felt her lips twitching – wanting to turn-up into a smirk – at the conversation she was witnessing. Though, she had to quickly reprimand herself at this, reminding herself not to get too attached to the comical boy she had just met. That wasn't how she lived her life. She just had to survive, like she had promised; not make friends or anything else that could be used against her in the future.

It wasn't until the Buggy Pirate Gang had made their appearance from the shadows, and had captured Luffy, that Ichigo stood up. She stretched leisurely and began to walk toward the execution platform. Fortunately for her, everyone was too busy watching the spectacle in front of them to notice her.

Ichigo was starting to get annoyed at Buggy's persistent shouting, and was starting to wonder when Luffy's crew would appear to protect their captain – if they actually did. The Marines had surrounded the area, and she could sense all of the guns which were positioned on the plaza, the men awaiting the order to shoot. To make matters worse, the girl noticed that it looked like it was going to rain.

"I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

A shocked silence fell over the square, and the words seemed to echo through the air.

'How bold,' Ichigo thought, looking up at the trapped boy, 'to be able to yell that out in front of such a large crowd. He must be planning on going to the Grand Line.'

"THIS EXECUTION IS CANCELLED!"

"Sanji! Zoro!"

Everyone screamed and scrambled to get out of the way of the two new arrivals – scared for their lives. Ichigo stayed where she was, but sighed deeply.

'Why is there so much shouting and noise today?' she thought. 'Oh well, looks like the reinforcements are here.'

The two men started sprinting toward the execution platform, slashing and kicking at anyone who got in their way. To the girl who was watching, it was obvious that they would not reach their captain in time, but she did have to credit them for their effort. It seemed like Luffy had noticed this as well, but he smiled and turned his head to face the crowd.

"ZORO! SANJI! USOPP! NAMI! ICHIGO! Sorry, I'm dead."

'Idiot, why did you call-out to me as well?' Ichigo thought. It was then that she sensed the crackling of lightning, and with the metal sword Buggy was using for the execution acting as a conductor, it was set to strike right on top of the platform.

The platform exploded in flames as the lighting struck it, causing the tower to collapse. Ichigo noted dryly that it had started raining during this time as well.

Luffy appeared from the flames, unharmed, and picked up his hat, laughing.

"Oh, what a relief! I thought I was a goner!"

Everyone stared at the boy, speechless at what they had just seen.

"I feel sorry for your crew. You're an idiot."

Turning around, Luffy noticed the girl he had invited to join his crew and grinned widely. Zoro and Sanji both looked confused, staring at the stranger who had just appeared behind them. Their attention too focussed on Ichigo, the three males failed to notice two pirates creeping up on them, preparing to attack.

Suddenly, hearing a couple of thuds, the trio whirled around and saw the two men who had been trying to kill them. Both had a knife lodged in their stomachs. The girl they had been regarding beforehand walked calmly past them, and bent down to carefully pull the knives from their bodies before wiping them quickly with a cloth and putting them away - making a mental note to herself to clean them properly later.

By this time, the Marines had surrounded them, but still all Luffy could do was laugh and shout excitedly – finally having to be brought back to reality by his green-haired crew-member. Ichigo started to walk away, knowing that she had been noticed by Smoker and that she would have to leave the island as soon as possible.

She felt herself being grabbed and hoisted over someone's shoulder. Looking round, she was met with the large grin of the idiot-boy who she had just met that day.

"You're coming with us, whether you like it or not!"

'Ah, I'm being kidnapped,' Ichigo thought as the group ran through the streets of the town toward the harbour.

'Well, whatever. I can always just leave when I feel like it.'

* * *

**Yay! Ichigo has finally joined the crew (although it was through some very unconventional methods)! I hope you enjoyed the update!**

**Also, just to clarify from the chapter, Ichigo can use a tiny bit of Observation Haki and uses throwing knives as her preferred weapon.**

**Next time, Ichigo will actually be meeting the crew – and vice versa! We will be seeing a very heart-felt reunion between her and Nami (just kidding)!**

**Please leave a review, and remember to check out the poll! Advice and suggestions are always welcome as well!**

**Thank you~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi!~ Chapter 5 is out, nice and early! Please enjoy!**

**I'll be changing a bit of the plot here, not much though – just enough for Ichigo to introduce herself to the crew properly (and not in the middle of a storm).**

**I apologise for any OOC-ness! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: One Piece is not mine, though I would love it for Christmas (not possible, much to my disappointment)**

* * *

"Looks like there will be a brief break in the storm," Nami said, looking at the ominous clouds which, for now, had fortunately stopped raining. "This won't last though; the downpour will start again soon."

The orange-haired girl looked around at the group, and specifically at her idiotic captain. He had acted on one of his whims again and gotten another person to join their crew. She hadn't been able to see who their new nakama was through the storm, but was nonetheless annoyed at Luffy for being a moron (not that she was surprised by now).

* * *

Ichigo had to admit, the situation she was in was quite a strange one. They had made it out of Loguetown somehow; not before running into Smoker and nearly getting arrested – but still, they had survived. So it was all good.

Luffy had carried her all the way to the harbour on his shoulder, apparently afraid that she would run away, and only let her down when he had fought Smoker. She had watched, wondering if she was meant to step in and help, but in the end she wasn't needed.

Ichigo had been surprised when Dragon, the most Wanted man in the world, showed up to defend them (or, more specifically, Luffy) – although she would never show it. A huge gust of wind had then been created, the girl did not know whether it was natural or not, and it had blown them to the edge of the sea. Luffy then flung her and 3 others onto the ship using his devil fruit powers.

Due to _her_ powers, Ichigo knew that those 3 were part of Luffy's crew – she also knew all about red-haired Shanks and how Luffy had eaten his devil fruit. Memories of the boy's brothers, Ace and Sabo, had been shown to the girl too, as well as the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates so far. Ichigo was glad to find that Nami had resolved her problems, but was a bit hesitant at the thought of seeing her again – after stealing treasure from the money-obsessed navigator.

Deciding that it would be best if she introduced herself to the crew, Ichigo readied her 'slave smile', as she had dubbed it; not that she had many other facial expressions to show them. It was either the unnaturally large smile which didn't quite reach her eyes, or a totally blank face. Nami and Luffy had already seen the latter, so Ichigo thought that it wouldn't really matter at this point – but it was always better to be prepared.

The green-eyed girl had taken refuge in one of the cabins, glad to escape from the storm and the giant waves which crashed onto the deck. She was still terrified of water and the sea, but didn't think it necessary to inform anyone of her weakness at just that moment – preferring to keep her thoughts and emotions to herself.

* * *

The crew turned as they heard the sound of a door being opened, and saw their new member walk out of the cabin. Everyone waited patiently to be introduced by the captain – who was blissfully oblivious to the whole situation. It was then that Nami actually took notice of who was in front of her.

"It's you!"

"Hello."

Nami stormed up to the younger girl, a look of pure rage on her face.

"You had better pay me back that money you owe me! I can't believe I actually let you go! I didn't trust you from the beginning."

"No."

Somewhere in the background, Zoro could be heard laughing – saying something about liking the new girl already. The next moment though, he was lying on the ground with a huge lump on his head, courtesy of Nami. Sanji had been a lost-cause from the beginning, fretting over the girl and shamelessly paying her countless compliments. Usopp started screaming, terrified over the fact that someone was talking back to Nami. Luffy laughed.

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Nami yelled, furious.

"No means no. I won't pay you back. I can't anyway."

"Why can't you pay me back?!" Nami could feel herself quickly getting more and more irritated at the girl's uncaring attitude.

"I spent it all."

Nami actually faltered at this. Ichigo had taken a fair amount of treasure, and it did not look like she had anything valuable on her at the moment which she could have bought; the orange-haired woman wondered how the girl in front of her had managed to spend so much money in so little time.

"On what exactly?" Nami questioned.

"An old man's groceries."

Nami could already feel a headache forming, and now she had to live with this infuriating girl. Oh, the joy.

"Whatever," she gave up trying to make sense of the girl's circumstances. "Just make sure to pay me back soon. At 300% interest."

"No. I stole that money fair-and-square."

"What are you, a kid?"

"I'm 16."

"Ah. That's actually pretty young."

The girls' conversation was interrupted by the sound of some very obnoxious laughter, and they turned to see all four males of the crew staring at them. Luffy was sitting with his head thrown back, laughing hysterically, and the other three were looking at the new girl in pure amazement.

"Wow," Usopp said in disbelief. "You were able to totally dissipate Nami's anger toward you so easily – and the topic was money as well!"

"My dear, you are truly wondrous! Anyway," Sanji twirled around, "Luffy! Introduce us to this lovely lady; I can't believe you man-handled her in such a way before this."

"Right!" the captain shouted. "Everyone, this is Ichigo – she is a story-teller. Ichigo, this is everyone."

"Hello, everyone."

The group of onlookers sweat-dropped collectively. They already had Luffy's random, excitable moods to deal with, but now they would have to be careful not to be swept into this girl's pace as well.

"No, I don't see how that helps her, Luffy," Usopp tried to explain, the rest of them nodding behind him. "You're meant to give her our names one by one."

"Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji. Swordsman, navigator, sharpshooter, cook. In that order."

Everyone turned to the girl who had just spoken, surprised that she already knew their names and positions on the crew.

"H-how…?" Usopp began shakily, a bit freaked out by the girl's knowledge.

"Devil fruit."

"Really?!" Luffy yelled, his eyes sparkling. "Which one? What can you do? I ate one too! Tell me, tell me!"

"Secret."

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask," Nami turned to Ichigo, "but what's with the eye-patch?"

"Fashion statement."

Everyone sweat-dropped at the girl's lack of response to each and every question, but resolved to ask her about it again later.

"Oh yeah! By the way, Ichigo already has a bounty! Isn't that cool?" Luffy told his crew, always in high-spirits.

"Really?" Sanji blinked. "This beautiful maiden? How much?"

"50,000,000 bellies."

"50,000,000 BELLIES?!"

It started raining again.

* * *

**I finished another chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it!**

**I won't be including the filler arc which is meant to follow Loguetown. Nope, these sails are set straight for the Grand Line!**

**Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**

**Thank you~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi!~ I finally uploaded another chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

**I am so, so, so sorry for not updating in a while! Please forgive me! I will try my best to make it up to you!**

**As an apology, I have written a small omake at the end! It is horrible, but I thought it was quite fun, and enjoyed writing it. The inspiration came from a review from Littlebirdd, and I hope everyone likes it!**

**I apologise for any OOC-ness in the story! Sumimasen~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

Luffy kept looking back-and-forth between his 4 crew-mates and the new member, Ichigo. Everyone was gaping at the girl, wide-eyed, not quite believing their ears. Above them, thunder crashed and the rain pelted at the Going Merry; but still, they stared. Ichigo looked unperturbed by the current situation and was looking back at the Straw Hat Pirates resignedly, twirling a section of her long hair around her finger.

The wind was starting to pick-up quickly, and so Nami reluctantly shook everyone out of their daze and told them that they would need to get out of there. On the horizon, they caught sight of the flashing of a light-house – their 'guiding light' as the orange-haired navigator called it – showing them the way to the Grand Line.

"Alright! We can come back to the issue about Ichigo-_chan_'s bounty later," Sanji began, "but for now, let's have a little launching ceremony to mark the importance of our voyage!"

The rest of the crew yelled their agreement – save for Ichigo and Usopp, the former not really caring and the latter scared out of his mind of the storm. Before they started though, Nami turned to their newest crew member and gave her a menacing glare.

"We shall discuss everything with you when we next have the chance."

For the first time in a long while, Ichigo felt like she wanted to smile. The crew, from what she had seen for herself and in their memories, was one of the closest groups she had ever witnessed – even including various families she had come across on the island she had previously lived on. She knew she couldn't show them her true feelings though, she had learnt long ago that people were not what they seemed on the surface and they would probably end up betraying her – like everyone else before them. But for the moment, she thought that she would allow herself to be swept up in the flow and travel with these people in pursuit of her dream and to keep her promise.

Looking up, Ichigo saw that everyone else had their feet on a barrel, and realised that they were all waiting for her to join them in their small ceremony. Walking up to the group slowly, she brushed against the sharpshooter and saw the dream which he had just declared in a memory – along with everyone else's. Sighing, the green-eyed girl lifted her foot onto the barrel and spoke her dream quietly to the wind.

"To write about all sorts of adventures," Ichigo uttered in a small, emotionless voice, knowing the others would not be able to hear her. As an afterthought she threw her head back and whispered to the sky, "and to always be able to see the stars."

"LET'S GO TO THE GRAND LINE!"

* * *

While the rest of the crew were all taking care of keeping the ship on course in the storm, Ichigo had taken refuge in the cabin again, not liking the huge waves which were threatening to drown them all. She dried herself off the best she could, and headed toward the kitchen where everyone else was gathered. Entering the room silently, she took a moment to familiarise herself with the room and the people in it – having already seen most of their memories, save for the cook's and the swordsman's earlier ones from the time before they were pirates.

"Do you have a logbook yet?" she asked the group.

Everyone in the room visibly jumped at the sound of her voice, having not noticed her presence. They turned to her and took in her appearance; despite her best efforts, she was still quite wet and she did not have any clothes to change into, already wearing her only set. Ichigo began to wonder if she was invisible, becoming alarmingly used to the reaction she had just witnessed when she had entered the room.

"Don't sneak up on us like that!" Usopp screamed, shaking from the shock of the experience.

"But I came in normally."

"It doesn't really matter!" Nami interrupted hurriedly when it looked like the sharpshooter was going to retaliate. "Anyway, I don't think we do. Why do you ask?"

"I could start one. I'll be the Chronicler of the crew."

"Yay! We finally have a Chronicler!" Luffy threw his hands up in joy. "By the way, what's a Chronicler?"

"Who knows?" answered Zoro, not really interested in what was happening. The girl had joined the crew and the swordsman already held her in some positive regard seeing that she could deal with the orange-haired witch so easily. Besides, if she tried anything to hurt the crew, then he could always just end her.

"Are you both idiots?" Nami questioned, exasperated at both the two morons and also the little thief who had just joined the crew. The former because they were just plain stupid, and the latter because she was making no move to help out and was just staring blankly at the scene before her. Ichigo was a mystery to Nami, an enigma. "A Chronicler is someone who writes accounts of important or historical events. In other words, Ichigo will be keeping track of our adventures and writing a log about them."

"Yes, that is definitely helpful," Luffy nodded sagely, "and she can tell us all kinds of stories as well! The only thing we need now is a musician!"

"THAT IS THE LAST THING WE NEED!"

* * *

Sitting down at the table, Ichigo pulled out an empty book, which had been one of the only things she had bought for herself in Loguetown to write her stories in; though now it was being used as a logbook. Ignoring the discussion about the entrance to the Grand Line happening around her, she reached out and subtly brushed her hand against Luffy's arm to gain his memories of the start of his adventures – from when he started his journey to meeting Coby and then Zoro, gathering the rest of his crew, defeating Arlong, and finally to the present.

Satisfied with her findings, Ichigo turned to the first page of the crew's new logbook and began writing. She wrote quickly, having lots of practice, and soon she had completed quite a few pages of the once-empty book – she was already at the part where Luffy was just about to beat Captain Kuro.

"My dear, lovely Ichigo-_chan_," Sanji came waltzing up behind her, a tray in his hand, "I have brought you some refreshments to replenish your strength as you are working so hard."

"Idiot cook," sounded the reply of a certain green-haired man. "All she's doing is writing in a book."

"Ne, ne, show me what you have written already!" Luffy said excitedly, ignoring the beginnings of a fight which had just broken out on the other side of the table. He peered over the girl's shoulder to glance at what she had been writing so intently this whole time. When he saw the records though, his eyes blew wide and started to sparkle in amazement. "Wow! You're really good at this! You're already at Syrup Village!"

Having been struggling with the helm for quite some time now, Usopp finally decided to pipe up – adding his much-needed opinion (in his mind at least) to the conversation.

"Wait!" he yelled, getting more and more freaked-out by the new girl by the minute, "how do you know about that at all?!"

"I told you, devil fruit."

"Come to think of it," continued the sharpshooter, who was by now starting to have real problems trying to keep the ship on course to the Red Line against the currents, "we still don't know anything about your devil fruits. None of us heard what your dream was either, I don't think."

The rest of the crew turned to look at the girl expectantly, nodding in agreement of what Usopp had just said, eagerly awaiting her reply. Ichigo gave all of them a bored look and glanced outside to see that they were coming up to the entrance of Reverse Mountain, with Nami keeping a look-out by the door. The crew held their breath as the new crew member turned back around to face them, their anticipation building.

"By the way," Ichigo began, making everyone deflate as she blatantly ignored all of their questions. "I would stop trying to force the helm if I were you. What with the strong currents and tail-wind, if you push it too much, it…"

The helm snapped clean in two.

"… will break."

* * *

**Omake:**

**Back in the Gold Roger Bar~**

So here she was, 2 weeks on from first arriving on the island, doing the grocery shopping for an old man while also avoiding all of the Marines, who seemed to be everywhere. When she entered the newly-cleaned bar, she noticed that they had company. A boy wearing a straw-hat, whose face was also on a Wanted poster which had been placed upon the wall recently – worth 30,000,000 bellies.

Ichigo dropped her bags, her mouth gaping and her eye wide. She could feel her resolve breaking, the walls she had worked so hard to build-up her whole life were crumbling at the sight of the boy with the straw-hat in front of her.

_'__Thump.'_

She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest, all in reaction to this new boy she had not even talked to yet. She was in love. Screw the fact that she had never experienced love before, save for maybe that old man she had met as a slave – but even that was platonic.

No, this was pure, unconditional love. No mistaking it. Her previous suffering did not matter to her anymore, nor did her distrust of everyone in the world. She was able to trust this man, who she had never met before – but she knew, despite all of her experiences of the contrary, that this boy was perfect. It was love at first sight, and she would love him her whole life long.

Now if she could only talk to him and confess her feelings.

"I don't drink."

Okay, so maybe it wasn't love after all.

* * *

**Again, I am so sorry for not updating in a while – I will try my best for next time, though I may not upload another chapter until after Christmas now.**

**I apologise for my atrocious omake, I just thought it was quite amusing and it is not to be taken seriously at all. Again, the idea came from a review from Littlebirdd, so thank you very much!**

**I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter!**

**As always, please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**

**Also, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a good one!**

**Thank you~**


	7. Chapter 7

**BANZAI! HAPPY 2015!**

**I hope that you all had a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year! Although, I am still wondering where the hover boards are. BACK TO THE FUTURE II LIED TO US!**

**Anyway, on with the story~**

* * *

"…"

"Don't give me that 'I told you so' look."

"I told you so."

"DON'T SAY IT!"

Usopp gave a huff and turned away from the green-eyed girl he was currently arguing with. After all of the excitement of the broken helm and entering the Grand Line, the crew had come across another obstacle in the form of a giant whale blocking their path.

Everyone, minus two, had been trying desperately to avoid crashing into the large mammal – while Ichigo had offered her assistance in the form of an assortment of smart-assed comments and Luffy had just been an overall idiot.

* * *

"Maybe we should fight it?" Luffy had begun nonchalantly, staring at the huge mass in front of them.

"IDIOT! How do we fight a giant whale?!" Nami had screamed back, panicking.

"Wait a minute! Where are its eyes?" Sanji asked quickly, suggesting that they had not been seen yet and still had a chance to get away. Everyone turned to look at him, hoping that what he was insinuating could be true.

"In its head. Obviously."

"YOU ARE SIMPLY BRILLIANT, ICHIGO-_CHAN_!"

Both the cook and the chronicler were promptly punched over the head by none other than the orange-haired navigator.

"MORONS!"

That was when the captain had made them all known by shooting a cannonball at the whale's head, causing a huge explosion; the ship bumped into the mammal anyway, knocking off the Merry's head in the process.

And then they had been eaten.

* * *

So here the sharpshooter was, in the stomach of a giant whale, having a petty fight with Ichigo because she would not let him forget the fact that the helm had been broken while he had been manning it. It was annoying to say the least.

He just couldn't seem to work the new girl out. She was cool and composed at all times, and really had a way with people on occasion – managing to even avoid multiple fights with Nami over various topics.

The girl with the eye-patch had many secrets, he could tell, and she knew too much to be completely natural. Granted, Usopp knew that she had devil fruit powers, but the girl wouldn't tell them what kind – and that frustrated him a little. Her surreal amount of knowledge was creepy.

The sharpshooter thought about his other nakama's varying reactions to the new member. Zoro obviously did not trust her completely yet, though he found her snide remarks and way of dealing with the 'witch' (aka Nami) both amusing and commendable. Nami appeared to already have been an acquaintance of Ichigo's before either had joined the crew, and beside the constant bickering which the girls frequently engaged in, both appeared to have some sort of respect for the other. In fact, Usopp thought, the two almost seemed to resemble sisters.

Then there were Luffy and Sanji, both having been lost-causes from the very beginning. One was just obsessed with anything wearing a skirt and the other would not even dream of one of his crew members being untrustworthy. Considering it though, maybe these two had the correct idea.

Sure, Ichigo wasn't particularly friendly and she made sarcastic comments in very unhelpful situations, she went with her own pace – others' be damned – and she wasn't very talkative even at the best of times. But she was easy to get along with. With her around, there always seemed to be an easy banter among the crew and the conversation flowed better – it never seemed too strained or serious when she was giving her valuable opinions on topics. She also showed signs of being a great listener.

And she seemed sad.

The long-nosed boy nodded to himself. Yes, this girl deserved a chance on this crew, and by all means the Great Captain Usopp-_sama_ was going to give her one.

* * *

Ichigo had once again taken refuge in kitchen to continue with her task of writing in the logbook. She was now nearly finished with Baratie, moving onto Arlong Park. So far, she was quite proud of her work – and the praise she had gotten from her captain had encouraged her greatly. She was not used to commendation of any kind, more accustomed to being ignored, so it was a nice feeling.

The crew she had ended-up on was not a bad one; she knew they were not bad people. But she also knew that humans tend to change whenever it is convenient for them. So what is trustworthy now may not be so trustworthy later; and that scared her. But for now, she let herself enjoy the company – being able to follow her dreams properly for once made her feel a sense of freedom she had never known before.

Hearing the quietness from outside, Ichigo wondered what was happening and decided to take a look. Upon reaching the deck, she saw the crew on an island with the old man from before, along with the captain and two new acquaintances. Not wanting to join the large group in the middle of their conversation, she sat down by the railing with the logbook in her lap and listened to the story of Laboon's past being told.

'Poor Laboon. Waiting 50 years for your crew. You must have been lonely, right?'

The digestive juices started to slosh around more and the walls of the stomach reverberated with the sound of a deep, mourning rumble.

Escaping back into the cabin, Ichigo remained there until the ship would get back out of the whale through the pipes within its body.

* * *

Back on the deck, having exited the whale's body, Ichigo noticed the two sleeping passengers on it, and immediately went to go check it out. Touching the man's forehead, she first watched all of his memories before moving onto the blue-haired girl. Standing up afterwards, she regarded the two figures before sitting down with her back to the wall, facing them.

'Baroque Works, huh?' she thought. 'And a princess in disguise as well. Looks like Vivi-_hime _is trying to overthrow one of the Shichibukai, Crocodile, for the sake of her country. This seems like it will be an interesting adventure.'

Settling down with her hands behind her head, she listened to the rest of the story that the old man – now identified as Crocus – was telling the crew. Despite being in the close vicinity of two bounty-hunters, she felt very relaxed. She had always had trouble sleeping at night, her insomnia getting worse again now that she was back on the sea and surrounded by water, and she began to drift off.

Soon, the lull of the waves and the calm breeze had sent her off to sleep.

* * *

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!**

**By the way, at the moment, votes for pairings are tied between Luffy, Zoro and no one. So I was thinking of maybe having some moments between them dotted around, but not really making romance a big theme of the story? I hope that this is agreeable with everyone.**

**Please leave me a review with your feedback! I always love hearing from you!**

**Thank you~**


	8. Chapter 8

**I finally got another chapter out! I am so sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**Nyasararu:** Thank you for reviewing! It made me laugh! Ok, everyone, Law is now in the running for a potential love-interest - though it will probably only be a few fluffy moments rather than a huge part of the story!

* * *

It was snowing. Ichigo was, once again, cooped up in the cabin that she and Nami shared, wrapped in blankets and sipping on a cup of tea – burning her tongue in the process. She knew how temperamental the weather of the Grand Line could be, and decided that it would be best to avoid anyone who could make her help like the plague.

Outside, Luffy and Usopp were having a snowball fight while Sanji was clearing the deck with a shovel. Nami and the two other passengers were inside the kitchen, trying to stay warm, and Zoro was asleep – no surprises there.

When she heard the commotion outside, Ichigo snuggled deeper into the cocoon she had made for herself and sighed in relief that she didn't have to deal with any of it. Keeping a look-out nevertheless, she noted that Nami had left the helm to talk to the boys. Smirking to herself, she made no move to warn the others of the unpredictable climate of the Grand Line and instead waited for them to figure it out themselves.

And when they did, Ichigo nearly laughed. Almost – but not quite. Nami had let out the most shocked scream and shouted at everyone to turn the boat around, to which they asked if she had forgotten something from the previous island.

'Idiots,' the unhelpful girl thought.

* * *

Later, when the storm had calmed down and the sun had appeared, Ichigo returned to the deck – watching as Zoro berated the others for being lazy, receiving a punch on the back of the head in return.

"YOU. I hope you enjoyed that little nap of yours," Nami said, a threatening aura behind her. "Snoring away, no matter how hard we tried to wake you…"

"Yeah, Zoro," Ichigo pitched-in. "But really, when we started heading in the opposite direction to what we were meant to, I thought none of you would ever notice."

"AND YOU!" Nami screeched. "Where were you throughout that whole predicament? No one could find you anywhere! And if you knew, why didn't you tell us?"

"I was inside. It was cold, and that would require too much effort. Besides, you should have known about Grand Line's unstable climate."

"YOU KNEW! You should have warned us! I should kill you now!"

"Well, it is known that people learn best from their mistakes. It was a good learning curve for you all."

When she was greeted with silence, Ichigo looked up at the crew to see them all staring at her, their mouths hanging wide-open.

"...This was the most any of us have ever heard you talk," Usopp said, flabbergasted – even Zoro looked slightly surprised.

"Well, you amused me," Ichigo nodded sagely, as if that was reason enough. She was rewarded with a lump on the top of her head – courtesy of Nami.

"I really feel like strangling you right now."

* * *

The Straw Hats had arrived at Whiskey Peak a good few hours ago and were now partying in the bar by the welcoming inhabitants of the town. Ichigo watched from the corner of the bar she had claimed as her own, and tried to me as inconspicuous as possible – so far, it seemed to be working. Every so often, she would reach over the bar and pour herself another drink after she had finished the previous one – of course, no one noticed while their attention was directed at the more noisy guests.

Ichigo remembered how Vivi-_hime _and the other guy – Mr 9 – had jumped overboard as soon as the island had come into sight, swimming to the shore. Upon actually reaching the port, the Straw Hats had been greeted with an overly-warm welcome and invited to a party held in their honour. At first, the Chronicler had tried to turn down the offer – telling them that she wasn't good with crowds – but after they had said there would be booze, she couldn't exactly refuse their hospitality. It would be rude.

"Are you even old enough to drink?" they had asked. But Ichigo had steadfastly ignored them and stalked off.

So here she was, watching as one-by-one the crew all fell asleep where they were. She realised that she had been forgotten when their 'hosts' left the inn, thinking that all of the pirates were asleep.

'How rude,' she thought, disgruntled, as she listened in on their apparent leader – Mr 8 – as he began his little speech.

Walking up to the green-haired swordsman – who she knew wasn't actually properly sleeping – she knelt down and started smacking his head repeatedly. Covering his mouth when he shot up, ready to shout at her, she pointed outside to where all of the bounty hunters had gathered.

"The curly-haired guy has started a monologue," she 'explained'. "Go stop him."

"…" he stared back at the impassive girl, not sure how to respond.

"Don't worry, I'll back you up."

"I am not scared," he growled.

"Yes, yes," she nodded at him before pushing him to get him moving. "Now, get going."

After the grumbling man had left, the brunette moved on to Nami, who – she knew – was also awake, waiting for the right moment to get up and loot the island of all its treasure. Instead of endangering her life by smacking the navigator on the head, Ichigo decided that it would be a better idea to prod her cheek in a steady rhythm. Again, she had to cover the older woman's mouth before she could start screaming.

'I feel like I should be learning something from these repeated reactions,' the expressionless girl pondered to herself. 'Oh well, that wouldn't be as enjoyable.'

* * *

"KILL HIM!"

Outside, the fight was just beginning; Ichigo watched in amusement as everyone looked around in confusion when the swordsman disappeared. Trying to find him, the bounty hunters all visibly jumped when they noticed the girl standing among their ranks, with an extremely nonchalant expression on her face.

"You're one of the pirates as well!" someone shouted as a group of them surrounded Ichigo, pointing their guns at her.

"You finally remembered me."

Zoro watched in horror as the shots were fired at the girl, and nearly yelled out for her – only containing himself at the last moment so as not to give away his location. Although, everyone was shocked when the dust cleared up and they could see the circle of dead bodies around the girl, who was still standing in the middle of the circle, unscathed.

"H-how?"

"I dodged. They just shot at themselves. Morons."

"That's not possible, unless you could somehow predict where the bullets would be fired. Which is impossible."

The girl just stared at him blankly, not giving anything away.

"Let me just ask something… Will adding just one grave be enough?"

At some point, Zoro had appeared behind Mr 8, and now had his sword pressing against the man's face, grinning disturbingly.

"Well, of course not. They would need at least two for the both of us anyway, Zoro-_baka_."

"SHUT UP!"

Sighing in defeat, Zoro decided to let the girl's snide remarks go for now. Looking up at her, he gave her a hard stare. But he did have to give her some credit. The girl didn't even flinch underneath his gaze.

"Fine," he said, cooperating with her for the time being. "But once we're off this damn island, you are going to explain all of your skills to us – along with your devil fruit and what you just did."

"…Alright. You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And next time, the Straw Hats will finally be able to learn about Ichigo's Yume Yume no mi!**

**Please leave me a review on your way out!**

**Thank you~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! So I finished another chapter - but I am so sorry for the delays!**

**Just a note: I have some very important exams coming up towards the beginning of summer, and both the homework and revision are being piled on top of us endlessly. Needless to say, I am a bit short on time at the moment, and so updates will not be as frequent as I would like them to be - and there may not be one out for quite a while now. For all of this, I really do apologise and I hope that this will be alright.**

**Anyway, as always, thank you all for your continued support! It really means a lot to me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

* * *

**finediviner: **Thank you so much for your review, especially since you don't do it often! As for the Luffy x OC, that is ultimately what I was thinking - though I think popular demand is weighing more towards only some fluffy romance - which is what is probably going to happen. As everyone can probably tell, I am quite indecisive and can't seem to make up my mind about anything - but this is what I have decided for the moment!

**ADDBaby: **As I said above in the introduction, I am very busy at the moment and don't have very much time to write because of exams. I will try my best to update though, because I really enjoy it and I love all of the reviews and support; thank you so much! Also, I have been a bit stressed lately, but your review made me smile - so thank you again!

* * *

Ichigo was currently staring at the captain of the Straw Hats. For various reasons, all of which were totally unknown to her, he had engaged in a heated battle against his first mate. Although, if she hazarded a guess, she would definitely say it had something to do with the black-haired boy being an idiot.

Sometime during the fight with Baroque Works, Ichigo had become bored and ventured back to the inn to see if there were any drinks left. She seemed to remember it was around the time Zoro had started talking to his new sword, saying it was cursed. She had evacuated the area quickly after she realised the swordsman had lost his last traces of sanity just then during the battle – not that he had had much in the first place; his smile was enough to suggest that he wasn't 'all-there' in the head. The nickname Zoro-_baka_ truly did suit him. Maybe she should warn Luffy that one of his crew members was mentally unstable.

Anyway, at first she had heard some explosions and obnoxious laughter, which sounded like it was coming from a woman, and then the sound of buildings being destroyed. She hadn't thought much of it; after all, she was content just sipping on the brandy she had poured herself. She didn't really care what was happening to the others outside.

So, needless to say, when she stepped outside she experienced one of those rare moments where she was actually confused at something. Zoro and Luffy seemed to be in some sort of battle to the death, Vivi-_hime _was riding on a bird and looked a bit roughed-up, and two other people had joined the fray – one man and one woman – though they were both quickly dealt with by the furious pirate duo. Though, Ichigo didn't really bother thinking about it too much – she could get the details later.

After a while of watching the two stand around, readying their next attacks, Ichigo was relieved when Nami came and punched the pair into submission. The younger girl had become increasingly exasperated during the two minutes she had watched the pointless fight – although not enough to actually do anything about it.

Sighing, she made her presence known to all in the area, and stated that she would start getting the ship ready for departure – including loading on two very sleepy, very drunk men. She received three confused looks from Luffy, Vivi-_hime _and the bird, and two angry expressions from the wonderful Nami – for not breaking up the fight – and Zoro-_baka_, for being a total smartass and disappearing on him during the battle. But Ichigo just waved and walked away, never looking back.

* * *

The crew, plus Vivi-_hime _and Carue, were all gathered outside on the deck, sitting scattered around and sipping on some drinks which Ichigo had just prepared for them (she was thirsty herself and needed an excuse to use the kitchen). Luffy and the others had joined the Chronicler and the two morons on the ship right after Igaram's decoy boat had been blown-up and they had set off promptly from Whiskey Peak.

Nico Robin had also kindly paid them a visit, and had offered them some 'help' to make their journey easier – but Luffy had turned her down, no surprises there. Usopp and Sanji had also finally been given an explanation of the situation, which Ichigo had unfortunately missed out on because she had been making beverages at such an inopportune moment. Not that she cared – she already knew most of the details, having brushed against the others more than once while passing out the drinks, and it also saved her a very boring speech on the current circumstances in Alabasta.

"Um, Ichigo?" Usopp piped up. "Was it alright for you to miss the explanation? After all, from what I gather, you missed most of the details as well."

The only problem was, now she would have to deal with all of the questions. She had not thought this through properly.

"Vivi-_hime_ is the princess of the country of Alabasta which is currently in a bad situation because of a Shichibukai known as Crocodile. That is the simplified version."

"…Oh yeah, I forgot. You know things which you shouldn't. My bad."

"She knows things?" Vivi-_hime_, who had remained largely silent and thoughtful throughout the explanation of events, finally spoke up.

"Yep," Usopp answered for her. "She's really creepy."

"Thank you," Ichigo replied coolly. "Devil fruit powers. And also, I wouldn't worry too much about Igaram; I highly doubt that he is dead."

"How would you know that?" Vivi-_hime _looked at the younger girl with a renewed sense of hope, while the rest of the crew just looked a bit disparaged.

"Contrary to her mannerisms, I don't think that Nico Robin is a truly bad person."

Ichigo had also managed to touch one of the assassin's many arms when it had grown out of her shoulder to grab the throwing knives out of the younger girl's hands.

"And what makes you say that?" Zoro questioned, his eyes narrowed.

"That woman does not seem like an imminent threat, and so that information is not mine to tell."

The swordsman looked a little bit discouraged before he smirked, remembering what the Chronicler had promised during their fight against Baroque Works.

"By the way, Luffy," he turned to the girl, who he was pleased to see looked slightly annoyed, "Ichigo has something she wants to tell us."

Luffy turned to the Chronicler expectantly, waiting patiently as the girl tried to gather her thoughts.

"Why, thank you for reminding me, Zoro-_baka_," she replied innocently. "I can't quite recall what it was I wanted to tell you, but I think it had something to do with Zoro being creepy… Zoro is weird… Zoro is a moron… Moron… Idiot… Idio-"

"STOP CALLING ME AN IDIOT!"

"Oh yeah!" Ichigo remembered suddenly, totally ignoring the swordsman's shouts. "I needed to tell you that whatever small amount of sanity Zoro-_baka_ had left in that tiny head of his has now been lost forever."

Luffy threw his head back and laughed while Usopp just nodded his head sagely in agreement in the background. Zoro huffed loudly before prompting his captain once more.

"She promised that she would tell us about her devil fruit powers and abilities."

The laughter stopped abruptly, and the whole crew turned to look at the impassive girl with an excited intrigue. The Chronicler rubbed the back of her neck, sighing, and looked to the side – while still somehow looking quite nonchalant at the whole situation.

"Yeah," she finally admitted. "I guess I did say something like that."

* * *

**Ok, so I know I said in the last chapter that I would be writing about Ichigo's powers, but I am a little pushed for time - so that will have to wait until next time.**

**Please leave me a review, and I would be grateful for any criticism you may have as well!**

**Thank you~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh my gosh! My exams are over! I think I probably almost died at least 5 times, but I managed to make it out alive! Yay!**

**Now I just have to wait until August to get my results -.-**

**In other news, I'm going to America to stay with family for around 2 weeks soon - so I won't be able to update very easily; although I will try!**

**Sorry for the wait, but thank you very much for bearing with me, and here is the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

* * *

**ADDBaby:** THANK YOU!

**alexc123: **I am glad you enjoyed it, and that you like Ichigo's attitude as well! Thank you for reviewing!

**Thank you to everyone you has favourite-d, followed or reviewed this story so far! I really appreciate it!**

* * *

"Right," Ichigo began her explanation, "my policy is usually need-to-know only. But, since I made an agreement with Zoro-_baka_, I guess I can indulge you in some more details. So, as you know, I have the powers of a devil fruit."

All of the crew were gathered outside, eager to gain some more insight into the enigma that was their youngest member. With bated breath, they waited impatiently for the girl to expand on her otherwise lacking explanation so far. However, as was often the case with Ichigo, if the crew had expected some intricately-wound plot – as the girl was, indeed, their resident story-teller – they were sorely mistaken.

"…"

"IS THAT IT?!"

"Well, what else do you want from me?" the Chronicler deadpanned.

"You brat," Zoro growled, reaching for his swords. "We made a deal."

"DON'T YOU DARE DRAW YOUR WEAPONS AT A LADY, MARIMO!"

Ichigo let out a loud sigh and sat down, cross-legged, in front of the rest of the crew – effectively sealing her fate. She waited for the fight to be broken up by the infuriated Nami, and then she held back for a bit longer as Usopp brought everyone's focus back on herself. They all sat there quietly, staring at her intently – although some gazes were more threatening than others.

"You know, Zoro-_baka_, Nami-_majo_," Ichigo stalled, "if you're glaring at me like that, it makes me less inclined to tell you anything."

"WHY YOU –"

"Ok, ok, ok!" Usopp quelled the pair's anger before anything could get out of control. "She's just trying to distract us, so just stick to the topic at hand."

Ichigo sighed again – something she swore was becoming a habit of hers – and once again glanced around for some inspiration to help get her out of this situation.

"Luffy, you seem to have been quite quiet so far –"

"JUST GET ON WITH IT!"

"Fine, fine," the girl acquiesced. "Well, why don't you each ask one question and then I can answer with whatever I feel like."

"Well, it looks as if that's the best offer we'll ever get – so let's make the most of it while we can!"

"Me first! Me first!" Luffy raised his hand and started waving it around frantically. "Which devil fruit did you eat? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"It's called the Yume Yume no Mi."

"Can't you expand on that a bit?" Zoro grumbled.

"Is that your final question?" Ichigo kept up her impassive façade; but even she had to admit that she took great joy in messing with the swordsman. These feelings were further solidified as the man turned a lovely shade of red as he tried to contain his rage.

"No," he managed to bite out. "What can you do with your devil fruit powers?"

"Well, I suppose the most prominent power I possess would be that I can see the memories of anyone I come into contact with; meaning I know their whole past, along with their darkest fears and any dreams they may have. I am also able to create illusions which I usually use to frighten my opponent."

There was a moment of silence as everyone came to terms with this new-found information.

"Well, I'm pretty glad that you're on our side," Usopp added his fifty-cents to the conversation.

"I guess it's my turn now," Nami brushed-off Usopp's comment. "Zoro told us a bit about the fight outside the bar – so my question is this: how did you manage to dodge all of those bullets?"

"I ducked."

"YOU BETTER START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS SERIOUSLY, OR I'LL –"

"Oi, Nami!" Usopp grabbed the infuriated red-head from behind, trying to stop her from killing their youngest nakama.

"It's Observation Haki."

It quietened down immediately, and everyone turned to Ichigo. No one dared to say anything lest they somehow ruined the girl's sudden willingness to talk.

"I don't know very much about it, but I am pretty sure that it allows the user to sense the presence of others and – to an extent – predict an opponent's next move; although I have the feeling that I'm still learning about it as well. It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you'll learn more about it as we continue through the Grand Line."

"I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE BRILLIANT, ICHIGO-_CHAN_!" Sanji shouted, wiggling in place from where he was sitting.

"That's so cool!" Luffy exclaimed with starry eyes. "Teach me!"

"Like I said, I don't know much about it. But, from my understanding, Haki can be unlocked with proper training or if a person is under extraordinary amounts of stress. So I wouldn't worry too much about it for the time being."

The silent question as to how Ichigo awakened her Haki was left unasked.

"Okaaaaay," the captain drawled in disappointment.

"Moving on," Usopp gestured to side with his hands. "Other than your devil fruit, what can you do in a fight?"

"Well, I use throwing knives and have pretty good aim but, other than that, I can't do much."

"So you mean you're pretty useless in a fight," Zoro supplied for her.

"MARIMO! STOP INSULTING HER!" Sanji yelled at the green-haired man. "No need to worry though, Ichigo-_chan_! I shall protect you as your valiant knight of love!"

"I don't think I put it quite as pathetically," the girl rebuked, totally ignoring the cook. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I could hold my own in a fight; after all, I can use my brain – which is more than I can say for the likes of you, Zoro-_baka_."

"You seem to really be trying to piss people off more than usual today, Ichigo," Usopp whispered to the Chronicler as Zoro had to be held back before he could do something he may, or may not, regret.

"It's payment for forcing me to answer all of these questions," she replied nonchalantly.

"Alright, it's my turn," Sanji said, in a rare moment or soberness around a female. "Why do you have such a high bounty?"

"I suppose it's for my knowledge," Ichigo sighed. "The Marines aren't happy with my powers allowing me to know so much about them, but at the same time they want my power so that they can gain information from other people."

Again, there was a collective silence as processed what they had just heard, beginning to feel a little bit sorry for the girl in front of them – being hunted even though she had done nothing, to their knowledge, to warrant such a bounty being put over her head.

"Anyway, Vivi-_hime_, you can ask me something now, if you'd like."

"Well, I don't have any burning questions if I'm honest, Ichigo-_san_," the princess admitted sheepishly. "But I am quite curious as to how these nicknames came about, if you please?"

"Well, Vivi-_hime_ is fairly self-explanatory – you _are _a princess after all. Zoro-_baka_ is simply because he's an idiot, which is perfectly reasonable. And Nami-_majo_, which I just came up with today, is because she's evil, like a witch. They're all perfect."

"WHY YOU BRAT –"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS EVEN FEELING A LITTLE BIT SYMPATHETIC –"

"Oh, oh!" Luffy jumped around animatedly. "I want a nickname too! Give me a nickname too!"

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted from where he was trying to calm down his two angered crew mates. "Are you sure you want one? This is _Ichigo_ we are talking about."

"I would have thought your nickname would be fairly obvious Luffy. I do know all about your past after all," Ichigo turned and totally ignored the chaos going on behind her. Making eye contact with her childish captain, she gave a sort-of amused sigh.

"Anka. Luffy-_anka_."

* * *

**And done! Anka means anchor in Japanese (I hope) for those who were wondering.**

**Please leave a review, they always make my day!**

**Thank you~**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok! So I managed to get another chapter out. I am so sorry - hopefully I won't have to apologise for the long wait next time I update. Fingers crossed.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**xenocanaan:** That is the idea! Sorry it took so long, but here is the next chapter, finally! Thank you!

**Luffy's sister: **Great to be back! Thank you, I hope I did alright as well - we get the results in three days. I'm glad you like it!

**Tsukino Aisuru - A:** Whoops? I am really sorry, thank you for pointing it out though. I won't change it, simply because I like Luffy-_anka_ better than Luffy-_kanazuchi_, but thank you! I am so sorry T_T

**FlamingCatDemon13: **Glad you do! Ichigo will open up some more in the future don't worry! Here's the update! Thank you for reviewing!

* * *

"I don't like it."

Luffy crossed his arms as he pouted angrily at the girl who had just given him such a ridiculous nickname. He thought he would be able to leave all of those teasing jabs at his non-existent swimming skills behind since Shanks left his home island and he himself had gotten stronger.

Unfortunately for the captain though, he had demanded a nickname from the one and only person on the crew who knew his whole past and who had a terrible fixation with mocking people.

"Too bad, Luffy-_anka_," came the quick, apathetic reply. "You were the one who asked for it in the first place."

"BUT I WANTED A COOL NICKNAME!"

"I tried to warn you, Luffy," Usopp sighed. "This is _Ichigo_. You should have known better."

"Don't bother, Usopp. There's no way Luffy would have even considered this," Nami lowered her head dejectedly. "I can't believe it can be this tiring just trying to ask some simple questions, and Ichigo doesn't even seem a bit ruffled by any of this."

"Especially after pissing you and Zoro off –" Usopp began, but quickly shut up as he saw the menacing gleam which had appeared in the navigator's eyes. "Never mind."

"She's just a brat," Zoro yawned, sinking down and putting his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. "Ignore her."

"What, because you seem to be doing such a good job of that –" again, Usopp halted what he was saying once he caught a glimpse of the swordsman's face. "I'm really not doing very well today."

"Well, I personally think that Ichigo-_chan_ has come up with some truly amazing nicknames," Sanji gushed, hearts appearing in his eyes. "If she could think of one for me, I would be able to die happily."

"I hope she comes up with one soon, shitty cook. Then we might not actually have to deal with you anymore."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MARIMO?!"

"HUH?!"

"WILL EVERYONE SHUT UP?!" Nami punched the two fighting men on the head, effectively ending their argument, and then moved on to glare at the other pair of bickering idiots ("Anka. Anka. Anka." "OI! SHUT UP!"). Eventually, Luffy and Ichigo did sense how imminent their deaths were becoming and decided to quieten down.

'_For now, at least_.' Ichigo added in her head.

"By the way, Vivi-_hime_, you and Carue-_dachou_ have been awfully quiet," the Chronicler turned her head towards the two guests on the ship. Although the new nickname she had given the bird had earned herself a rather angry 'squawk' and a "really, Ichigo, Carue is _not _an ostrich", both of which she ignored.

"I wonder," Vivi began, downcast, "is it really alright for me to be aboard your ship? I don't want to be a burden…"

"What are you talking about?" Nami replied, looking disgruntled, walking towards the princess and poking her in the head. "Thanks to you, we're all marked for death. If you didn't want to be a burden, you shouldn't have done that in the first place."

"I'm sorry."

"Right, Luffy?" the red-haired woman called to her captain behind her.

"OH! I'm hungry!" the boy called back, throwing his fist into the air.

"I don't think he cares…"

"In any case, we know our next stop," Zoro said.

"Little Garden, eh?" Sanji supplied.

"Is it really okay to go there?" Usopp trembled, not looking forward to having to visit this strange, dangerous land.

"Who really cares?" Ichigo deadpanned, glancing at the sharpshooter. "Luffy-_anka_ obviously doesn't, so either way it doesn't really matter."

"Let's go, crew!" called the rubber-man.

"Yeah!"

"…Yeah."

* * *

It had been a few hours now, and the crew were in the middle of the sea with nothing in sight for miles around. Sanji had prepared drinks for everyone and the boys were all on the lower deck, messing around. Nami opened the door of the galley and walked out to join Vivi as she watched the events unfolding with the bunch of idiots below.

"How can they act like this?" the princess questioned angrily, pointing at the group.

"Here's yours," Nami offered Vivi a drink, unfazed by the reaction. "Just let them be. If a storm does come, they know what to do. They don't want to die, you know."

"Well, I suppose," Vivi replied, looking unsure. "But it seems like they're not even trying to be alert!"

"You shouldn't worry like that," Nami grinned. "Not on this ship."

"Wow," came a deadpan voice from behind the two girls, "Nami-_majo_'s acting alarmingly kind-hearted."

The pair who had originally been conversing turned around to see Ichigo sitting above them, on the ledge of where Nami's orange tree patch was, sipping on her own drink coolly – watching as everything transpired on the ship.

"Shut up, you," the navigator grumbled. "And get down from there!"

"Fine, fine." The Chronicler dropped down to join the two other's on the deck.

"Well, this is kind of relaxing…" Vivi laughed.

"Hey guys, look!" Sanji called. "It's a dolphin!"

"It's cute!"

"I wouldn't say that, Nami-_majo_."

"Eh? Why?"

The creature then decided to try its luck at jumping over the ship, shocking everyone with its size.

"IT'S HUGE!"

"RUN AWAY!" Luffy gave the command, springing the crew into action; or, at least, most of it.

"See?" Ichigo turned to Vivi-_hime_, still sipping on her drink. "They're pretty good when it comes down to it."

"Yes," the princess stared at them all in awe before facing the girl next to her and sweat-dropping. "Shouldn't you be helping?"

"Nah, they've got it. Really, Vivi-_hime_, you should have more faith in them."

"No, that's not what I meant, I –" the blue-haired girl desperately tried to defend herself.

"Alright! We'll catch this wave and ride it out of here!" Luffy called as the dolphin yet another leap out of the water.

After everything had cleared up, and there was no longer a giant dolphin in sight, Luffy called up to the navigator again.

"Nami! How's our course?"

"Just a sec, I'll check!" Nami replied, holding the log pose closer up to her face to get a better look at it. "Turn us hard to port!"

"AYE-AYE!"

Travelling on the waves for a little while longer, the crew were finally able to see an island in the distance, surrounded by fog.

"No doubt about it," Nami said. "We're directly lined up with Cactus Island. Our next destination is that island!"

"So that's it! The second island of the Grand Line!"

'_I have a bad feeling_,' Ichigo thought to herself. '_If that massive dolphin was anything to go by, then I don't think that this 'Little' Garden is all that it seems. We may be in for a rough ride._'

* * *

**By the way, if anyone has any suggestions as to what Ichigo could nickname the other members of the crew, I would love to hear them! I need help in thinking of some. If they could follow the lines of existing ones like Zoro-_baka _and Nami-_majo_, that would be great! Maybe like Chopper-_tanuki_, or something?**

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Please leave me a review and/or suggestions.**

**Thank you~**


End file.
